Surgeons protest cuts on operations

Cost cutting within the NHS has forced Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to limit the number of operations conducted each year. Some forms of elective surgery have recently been categorised as producing limited clinical value, leading to patients being denied treatments.

The Federation of Surgical Specialty Associations (FSSA) has sent an open letter to the Guardian warning of the cost to patients needing surgery.

Lists produced by PCTs highlighting non essential surgery are not regulated by the Department of Health leading to variation across the country. FSSA argue that the operations included are valuable and should not be rationed in such an arbitrary way.

The FSSA says it is “concerned that lists of surgical procedures and interventions, deemed of low clinical effectiveness or of 'lower value', are being used by PCTs to limit access to certain procedures.”

“Review of the lists reveals that there is little or no evidence to support the view that many of the procedures are of limited value to individual patients.”

The Department of Health said: "We welcome the leadership of top surgeons and value their commitment. We share their passion for the NHS. We have invested an extra £11.5bn in the NHS and have been clear there is no excuse for waiting times to increase."